


let you in

by a5xa7 (CastelloFlare)



Series: the runner's romance [2]
Category: The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: First Meeting, M/M, Minewtbang, Neighbors AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-11
Updated: 2015-12-11
Packaged: 2018-05-06 03:46:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5401775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CastelloFlare/pseuds/a5xa7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They both live on the sixth floor, separated only by one wall, the locks on their doors, and varying schedules. They never meet.</p><p>Except this evening.</p><p>On adjacent balconies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	let you in

**Author's Note:**

> unbeta'd, all mistakes are mine
> 
> also up on tumblr

"Arabella, let me the fuck in!" The frantic yelling next door was enough confirmation for Newt that _someone actually lived there_. He'd been in the building for half a year, and not once had he seen nor heard a peep out of the neighbor who rented the flat beside his.

He never really thought about it, in fact he was happy and content in the peaceful silence that allowed the smooth progress of his writing. That is, until tonight.

"Come on, Arabella, don't be like this!"

 _Arabella, let him bloody back in_ , Newt rolled his eyes and stared back at the screen of his laptop. A plethora of ideas and then a big fat blank. The start of the racket outside just really put an ugly end to his concentration. He concluded, with a deep sigh, that it's probably time to socialize.

He stalked over to his balcony and slid open the glass doors, the noises amplified now that he was nearer to the source. To his surprise, the source was naked, with only a flimsy towel dangling dangerously around his waist, muscular arms banging on the glass. He was still yelling.

"Could you bloody quit that racket and save it for the New Year? Some of us would appreciate that very much, thank you."

Biceps -- the impromptu nickname Newt just decided to call this dude -- made a little jump after hearing his voice. He turned towards his direction and their eyes locked for an awkward two seconds.

"Someone actually lives there?" Biceps said, his voice octaves lower than it was a while ago. Newt was surprised about how good it sounded when it's not all screechy.

"Uh, yeah, and that someone would appreciate it if you toned it down a little, I'm uh, kinda in the middle of something."

"Sorry brother, but as you can see I _am_ locked out of my apartment in nothing but a Batman towel and it's freezing out here, and," Biceps looked back through the glass and whined, "Arabella is eating my shucking meal, oh god, it's been ages since I cooked for myself and she knows it, yet how could she--"

"I apologize, that was insensitive of me," Newt's initial annoyance turned into embarrassment. When he got cranky, all rationality just went out the window. "Maybe there's something I could do to help so we can get over this quickly and move on with whatever we had been doing before?"

"Thanks, but this is Arabella and she could be such a bitch sometimes, although it _was_ kinda my fault but--" _groowwwllll_

Awkward silence. Then, "I got some left over pizza in the fridge mate, want to come over and heat it up?"

"I don't wanna impose, dude, and we just met."

"Consider it an apology for just now. And Bats just can't go around saving Gotham if he catches a cold now, can he?"

 

 

"Sorry t' impose on you, man," Biceps, or Minho as he introduced himself earlier, said as he gulfed down a whole slice. "An' if I get any greathe on theshe clothes, I'll be sure ta wash 'em."

"No worries, but slow down, mate," Newt said. "Pizza's not runnin' anywhere."

Minho was in sales and on the way to a promotion that kept him busy during the past months. He was almost living in the office that he was almost never home. Apparently he wasn't able to pay too much attention to Arabella that she'd been ignoring him even when he finally got a break for two weeks after all the hard work.

Aside from being a hard worker, Newt found out more about his neighbor who he had never known for half a year. Minho shared his love for coffee and books, something Newt didn't quite expect from someone who looked like his hobbies were going to the gym and lifting things. Minho also confessed that when he's bored or stressed at work, he'd go out and just take a walk without a particular destination, and when that wasn't possible, he'd put stacks of books on both palms and pretend he was lifting weights just to get the tension out of his system. He loved watching slasher flicks but got scared of the Gollum from the _Lord of The Rings_ movies and has since then avoided watching any of the franchise. He once played the part of a potato in a school play back in middle school.

They chatted on as if they'd been friends for a long time. Newt secretly began to wish Arabella would keep him out for longer. Somehow, Minho didn't seem so eager to bring her up, either.

"Your place is cozy," Minho said, looking around. " And I should get this shucking couch for the office and just sleep on it when I feel sleepy."

"I'd rent it to you for a hundred bucks an hour but it is also needed here," Newt chuckled.

"But seriously, your place has a nice atmosphere to it," Minho yawned. "If only I'd met you sooner, I could have introduced you to Arabella. She would probably feel less lonely if she hung out here while I was gone."

Newt felt a pang in his chest now that he dropped the Arabella bomb. He wasn't sure if he wanted to meet her, but then what Minho just said sounded so wrong on so many levels. He would leave his girl here with a stranger so she wouldn't feel so lonely? Not that Newt would touch her, but wasn't the guy too trusting? And what annoyed Newt was the fact that this didn't disturb him as much as the fact that he was being hopeful when he was dealing with a straight guy. Ignoring the growing pain in his chest, he decided to brush it all off with a joke.

"Whoa, you're pretty confident if you're willing to leave your girlfriend with this gorgeous specimen of man," he gestured to himself in mock arrogance. Saying _your girlfriend_ out loud only made the disappointment he felt weigh heavier instead of releasing it.

Minho just looked at him and opened his mouth to say something, paused, blinked twice, then laughed. "Oh god, that just now was so wrong."

"Dude, that was so insulting," Newt shook his head and placed a hand on his chest. "I feel wounded." It was a joke but then again some jokes are half-meant. Maybe making a joke out of it wasn't a very good idea.

"No, no," Minho said, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes. "I don't mean-- Newt, you _are_ the best I've ever laid eyes on, and I know this will sound so shucking cheesy, but today I got to discover you were really beautiful inside out--"

 _Wait, what_ , Newt was gaping.

"-- and Arabella is, in fact, my fat-ass cat."

Minho had the most adorable grin on his face, and here was Newt with his mouth still hanging open. Too many facts were racing in his head right now-- Biceps not only complimented him, but also hit on him with a cheesy one-liner; Biceps was looking at him now for maybe the longest time; since when was his knee slightly touching on Biceps' thigh; _and_ Arabella. Was. His. Bloody. Cat. The first thing he blurted out was:

"You left your cat for indefinite periods of time, how the bloody hell was she able to survive with you as her owner? And she _locked_ you out of your own flat??"

"She's as clever as her owner," Minho shrugged. "I left her food canister open, and left three kitty litters and newspapers spread around the flat every time I knew I was going to be away for more than a day--where are you going?"

"I bought lock picks in case of emergencies, learned the how-to's online," Newt rummaged through his desk drawers. "We're getting Arabella here _and_ your place back."

"So you're not throwing me out just yet?" the goofy grin was back in Minho's face. He stood up and joined Newt by the glass doors that led to the balcony.

"Don't be so hopeful, Min," Newt smiled.


End file.
